Nervous system Flashcards
What is the master control and communication system of the body?
Nervous system
Does the nervous system work alone to regulate body homeostasis?
No
What is the process of gathering information in the nervous system called?
Sensory input
What does integration in the nervous system involve?
Processes and interprets sensory input and decides what should be done
What are the two main divisions of the nervous system?
- Central Nervous System (CNS) * Peripheral Nervous System (PNS)
What does the Central Nervous System (CNS) consist of?
Brain and spinal cord
What is the main function of the Peripheral Nervous System (PNS)?
Includes all parts of the nervous system outside the CNS
What are spinal nerves responsible for?
Impulses to and from the spinal cord
What are cranial nerves responsible for?
Impulses to and from the brain
What is the sensory division of the nervous system also known as?
Afferent division
What do sensory fibers convey?
Impulses to the central nervous system from sensory receptors
What are the two types of sensory fibers?
- Somatic Sensory Fibers * Visceral Sensory Fibers
What is the motor division of the nervous system also known as?
Efferent division
What does the motor division do?
Carries impulses from the CNS to effector organs
What are the two subdivisions of the motor division?
- Somatic Nervous System * Autonomic Nervous System (ANS)
What do supporting cells in the nervous system also refer to?
Neuroglia
What is the function of astrocytes?
Recapturing chemicals released for communication purposes
What type of cells are microglia?
Spiderlike phagocytes that monitor neuron health
What do ependymal cells do?
Help circulate cerebrospinal fluid
What do oligodendrocytes produce?
Myelin sheaths
What is the function of Schwann cells?
Form myelin sheaths around nerve fibers in the PNS
What are neurons specialized for?
Transmitting messages (nerve impulses)
What is the role of dendrites?
Convey incoming messages toward the cell body
What is the axon hillock?
Conelike region from which the axon arises
What are Nodes of Ranvier?
Gaps in myelin sheaths
What do axon terminals contain?
Neurotransmitters
What is the synaptic cleft?
The gap between two neurons
What is multiple sclerosis (MS)?
A disease that destroys myelin sheaths around CNS fibers
What is gray matter composed of?
Unmyelinated fibers and cell bodies
What are the three types of neurons based on structure?
- Multipolar Neurons * Bipolar Neurons * Unipolar Neurons
What are the two major functional properties of neurons?
- Irritability * Conductivity
What happens during depolarization?
Sodium enters the cell, shifting polarity
What is an action potential?
A long-distance signal transmitted by neurons
What are reflexes?
Rapid, predictable, involuntary responses to stimuli
What are the two types of reflexes?
- Somatic reflexes * Autonomic reflexes
What is the function of the cerebral hemispheres?
Largest part of the brain, involved in higher brain functions
What is the role of the thalamus?
Relay station for sensory impulses
What does the hypothalamus regulate?
Body temperature, water balance, and metabolism
What is the function of the cerebellum?
Coordinates skeletal muscle activity and balance
What is the corpus callosum?
Fiber tract connecting the cerebral hemispheres
What is the role of the medulla oblongata?
Controls heart rate, blood pressure, and breathing
What is the function of the pons?
Relays information from the cerebrum to the cerebellum
What is the reticular formation?
Maintains alertness and filters stimuli
What does the limbic system mediate?
Emotional responses and memory processing
